For the Red Poet, Jack Hirschman/By: Mahnaz Badihian

1933-2021

 

For the Red Poet, Jack Hirschman

By: Mahnaz Badihian,2021

 

I feel closer to the galaxy today
Soaking under rain
Following the lost stars
with this news waking me up
all night

With wonderous Arcane poems  

           Chewing my books

But can one believe that guiding voice of love
         leaves this earth

While his footsteps are still alive in North beach

 

Which part of this galaxy he has landed now
Maybe he flew to eternity
         To spread love from above.

Who was this man?
Tall, slender, with the wild mustache
With a heart as sensitive as a child

And the energy of a young Lion.

Now that he will not walk around city lights
Now that he will not meet us in Caffe Triste
And will not send us emails
I think the end is not too far for all of us
How is it possible to see the sun go down
Right in the heart of summer in the city of San Francisco

 

That red poet will never come
To my house again to eat Persian food
and read Rumi with me

I will complain to Rumi
I will complain to Walt Whitman

for inviting Jack to eternity

only to have the red poet next to them.

 

But let’s remember to celebrate Jack
Let’s dance behind house number 858A
Let’s put red roses in Aggie’s hair

celebrating the man, we all adored.